...she smiles at the future

Pardon the dust...

2011-06-13T20:33:00.000-07:00

Things are a changin' up around here. I've been working with Kristina of Two Happy Mamas Blog Design Studio (Hi Kristina!) to give the plain ol' blog a fresh look. Be back soon!

Gratitude, day 3

2010-11-11T18:02:00.000-08:00

Gratitude, day 2

2010-11-09T19:33:00.000-08:00

I'm thankful for family dinners
because it allows us to nourish the soul as well as our bodies

Gratitude. "I'm thankful for" A new series to get my blogging back :)

2010-11-08T20:50:00.000-08:00

Hello friends! Forgive my long absence...it made your heart grow fonder, right? :)

To jumpstart my re-entry into the blog world, I've decided to post what I'm thankful for every day all the way until Thanksgiving Day. Sounds simple and easy enough. Feel free to follow along or post yours on your own blog.

Today, I'm thankful for allergy meds in the cabinet
because that means my girlies can enjoy the great outdoors and love on our kitties

Bluebonnets 2009

2009-04-23T20:22:00.001-07:00

The girlies and I went for a quick trip to Chappell Hill over Easter weekend. I decided we'd better go quick before the weeds take over. Found a wonderful spot just down the road from the town and snapped a few. These are the best ones believe it or not. Claire is NOT a sit still and smile for the camera kinda kiddo. *sigh*

{photos taken 04.10.09}

Snow day!

2008-12-12T11:52:00.000-08:00

If you squint your eyes really hard, you can see the few flakes. Hee hee.
Actually, a few minutes prior to this shot it really was more visible. I promise.
Claire had the best tme trying to catch the few flakes in her mouth.
While I had fun watching her play I was worried that poor Emma would completely miss out on the fun but as luck would have it, the kids PE teacher let them out of the gym this afternoon to see the snow falling. And that was the first thing she said when she flew out of the bus so she did n't miss out on the fun afterall. By the time the bus arrived it was turning into sleet, which isn't quite as much fun. *wink*

This one makes me smile

2008-10-22T20:16:00.000-07:00

Out of the 50 gazillion pics I got, this one was my favorite. Those two are a bundle of energy and zest! Thank goodness the church had a HUGE bouncy house and pink lemonade because they needed somewhere else to run the steam off, hee hee.

I don't know who was worn out more that night, them or me.

Happy Fall, y'all!

What would we do without electricity?

2008-09-28T18:26:00.000-07:00

I never thought we would find out the answer to that question until Hurricane Ike blew through and virtually cut the line and stranded 2.2 million customers. Some for a few hours (how fortunate), some for a few days, and then some for weeks, like us. And then there are those South of us on Galveston who will not have electricty for months.

All is well in our house. The girls jumped with glee the night we returned to the house from dinner and saw the garage light on. It took a LONG time to get them settled down and to reassure the older one that we should not have another outage for quite some time. Dare I say that?

So. Back to the question at hand.
Emma learned how to ride her bike, sans training wheels. Yay!
We read all of the books on her 1st six weeks reading list. Well, she did, I should say. Yay, again!
Rechargeable batteries and your neighbors' generator will become your lifeline.
I realized how dependent we had become on the TV (it was eerily quiet most of the time here, with the exception of all the generators whirring noise that just sort of became white noise) and was kindof sad to see it come back on. There is a timer for the TV now and there is a list of things to do to earn tube time. So far, so good.
We learned how to cook breakfast on the propane grill. Oh, and frozen pizza. Well, semi-frozen pizza until HEB reopened. Hee hee.

I'm glad to see life resuming for the most part and am glad to have weathered the storm unharmed.

I'm off to catch up on some blogs and other cyberspace whatnot.

Oh, internet how I have missed thee.

I don't like Ike

2008-09-11T13:02:00.001-07:00

Go away, Ike. Far, far away.

Looks like we're in for one heckuva storm. Please keep the area and their families in your prayers. I'll update as I can, pending power outtages.

2nd day

2008-09-08T13:14:00.000-07:00

*sigh*

Did not go as well at first, but I figured as well. You were the first one there and started to get weepy when I signed you in. You marched on through the gate, Miss Beth closed it and once you heard the click, the tears started streaming. I blew a kiss and around the door I went-just out of eyesight so I could *check in* on you.

You settled down pretty quickly and I left for the morning. Upon my arrival, you were all smiles and had a pretty good day, with the exception of the teary start. However, next time, you might want to settle down quickly or your pity party will include the rest of the class!

It will get better, sweet birdie.

Love,
Mama

100% ready

2008-09-04T18:49:00.001-07:00

Dear Claire,

Today is your first day of school and from the priceless expression above, I know you are ready to go. It was such a delight to see you march right in to your classroom, find a spot at the puzzle table, and have fun right away. No tears from you, babe. Boy, was I pleasantly surprised by that!
Have fun, make new friends and miss your mama a little, okay?

Love,
Mom

Picnic blanket with rock pockets. Brilliant!

2008-08-05T21:58:00.000-07:00

One of my very favorite bloggers posted a tutorial for this quilt. On the backside are four little corner pockets for placing a rock to keep the quilt on the ground. Clever, huh?

I've got a trip to the fabulous quilt store planned for September after the girlies start school but Iam a bit sad that this idea wasn't around a few weeks ago. It sure would have been a wonderfully good thing to have for our beach vacation next week. Alas. I'm always a day late and dollar short. :)

My first eBay listing is going well. I have one bid (better than NO bid, huh?) and 20 watchers so I am excited. I'll keep y'all posted as I know you're chomping at the bit to see what happens. LOL

Ok, for those of you who are interested...

2008-08-03T07:30:00.000-07:00

http://http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=140254870485&ssPageName=STRK:MESE:IT&ih=004

The first of many many many many Gymboree outfits to sell. My seller name is mama*bird72.

Happy bidding and good luck!

Happy 4th of July, on July the 15th!

2008-07-15T22:19:00.000-07:00

Emma wants to be a part of the Kazoo Band next year. Got her signed up and she's been practicing playing her Kazoo ever.since.the.parade. My ears are sooore. :)

No parade is complete without the ginormous pink pig wearing her ruffly red tutu. Wonder just how many yards of tulle were used...

Ok, girls, wave to mama. Oh, and LOOK AT THE CAMERA!

Hee hee.

We had tons o' fun and are impatiently awaiting the Teddy Bear Parade in December.

Oh, and the gallon bag of candy, no lie, is in the garbage can awaiting it's ride to the dump on Thursday. I'm a meeeaaannn mama, I know.

My eBay helper

2008-07-13T14:53:00.000-07:00

Train them early and train them well. :)

Since, ahem, May 27th, we:

graduated from Kindergarden
went to Build-a-Bear with a few friends from school and spent a small fortune
started (and still in the process of finishing) The Bathroom Remodel of the Summer-pics to follow once it is all done
went to Grandma's house and fit in a teesy short trip to Louisiana to visit Aunt Sally
met Mike the Tiger at the Alexandria Zoo
started a small eBay store to sell the girlie's Gymboree clothes...isn't it sad that I have to open a STORE what with all the inventory?

Hope y'all are having a good summer!

So I ask for a nice smile and this is what I get:

2008-05-27T09:44:00.001-07:00

*sigh*

We had a wonderfully relaxing weekend at the lake with the grands. Now we're back home, Emma's at school and Claire's napping. Only two more days of school and we're home for the summer, yay! Now I get to start the great search for affordable (does it exist???) lodging for our trip to Rockport this August. Looking forward to no agenda and sand between my toes...ahhh.

Sunday at The Antique Rose Emporium

2008-05-08T10:15:00.000-07:00

The annual girlies sitting in the red wagon pose, a favorite of mine. I think we have a tradition!

I love how you can see their similar facial expressions and notice how they hold their hands. So sweet.

There are several spots at the emporium that are themed. Toto's there, but you have to squint to see him. :)

Bye, for now.

Guess what?

2008-04-24T20:09:00.000-07:00

Emma's had this one particular loose tooth for a very, very long time until today. I *helped* the progress a bit this morning while brushing her teeth.

Once she got to school, she bravely pulled it out with a tissue in her classroom. I think that what was the most exciting part for her, as this was not the first lost tooth, was that it occurred at school, she got a sticker to show everyone and that it made it home safe and secure in the cutest little tooth case. :)

Yay, Emma!

Ikea, did I need another reason to love you so?

2008-03-13T19:04:00.001-07:00

I absolutely love, love, LOVE this fabric collection:
Here is a close-up view of the animal print:

My mom is willing (bless her heart) to help me make a nap mat for Claire, which she'll need it when it is time to start MDO two days a week this fall. Yay!

Tomorrow's Kindergarden Field Day and I have the camera packed in the bag. Perhaps I stand a chance of snapping a few shots this time, huh? :)

Memory Lane Monday, First Edition

2008-03-10T12:23:00.000-07:00

{photo taken 08.27.07}

{photo taken 08.26.06}

Perhaps I'm weepy since my firstborn is about to be a FIRST GRADER.
I remember the excitement of picking out your new backpack and lunch bag, trying on your First Day of School outfit and getting everything ready the night before.
Oh, and the absolute fear of you venturing out into the unknown and glad that we have gone through this wild and crazy ride together.
I love you, Emma-bug!

Super Tuesday PSA (one day early, ok?)

2008-03-03T19:16:00.000-08:00

{image courtesy of Heather Bailey, because I'm too lazy to make this myself, heh heh}

Little Miss

2008-02-27T19:56:00.000-08:00

Full of spunk, I tell you!

{photo taken 02.26.08}

Coveting

2008-02-21T11:54:00.000-08:00

http://www.clutterbags.com/

Mmmm. Yummy. The chocolate paisley fabric is no longer available which at first made me really, really sad. But I have since recovered and now even more excited that Janie will custom make one with a fresh and funky color palate that I think I like even better:

The above photos are from a flickr group featuring the fabrics of Heather Bailey's FreshCut line, which I simply ADORE. By the way, we now have even more reason to love her design and eye for color because Miz Bailey has launched a line, with more goodness on the way, for all things scrapbook and craftiness courtesy of Autumn Leaves. Yippee!!! Go check out Stacy Julian's blog entry about it. You'll be glad you did.

Ok, my time on the computer is up and it's back to my reality of a mama to sick ones. Again.

Ah, the many joys of motherhood. I truly love it. :)

What have we been up to (a pictorial update)

2008-01-25T07:46:00.000-08:00

Busy, busy, busy.

Everytime I write or say that it reminds me of Frosty the Snowman.

Claire has PERFECTED the cheesy smile. Don't you just love it? :)

Winter has arrived here in the Lone Star State and we're loving it. Sort of.

Pots of chili (no recipe, I use McCormick), soups and bread, oh my. Oh, so good for the soul but not so muc for my bum, eh? I absolutely loved what Stacey had to say about the dieting thing. I just want to be less. Yes indeedy I do.

Today was Muffins with Mom at Emma's school. So fun but no camera. Bummer.

Will chat again soon!

Update and a this-n-that post :)

2007-11-30T08:22:00.000-08:00

We're here, still waiting on answers. Please, please continue to keep my sweet bird on your prayer list. She's doing really well and debating on if she wants to walk. I have some new pics to load on the computer and post in oh, let's just say a few weeks... :)

I will happily report that in my posting absense I have FINISHED the Santa shopping!!!

{insert happy dance here-woohoo}

We're about to be all pink and polka-dotty. Good thing the girl loves everything stripey and dottie. And pink. :)

I'm also taking the girls to a good spot my SIL found to get pics for our Christmas cards. Totally streamlined the process by choosing a card from Shutterfly. So darn easy and I totally wish I would have done this last year. Oh, well. PPD was a very, very bad thing for me this time last year. Had I only believed that it would get better. It did. :)

And I have been pickin' out thread till my fingers are bleeding a monogrammed tree skirt I bought off of eBay. Thank goodness I got a steal on it 'cause it is a pain-literally and figuratively-to remove.

And (just one more and for good measure!) Emma will be OVER THE MOON when she sees her treat for tonight's Friday Night Movie:

Let the merry-making begin!

Miss Busy Bee

2007-11-04T09:07:00.001-08:00

Has an appointment with the neurologist tomorrow to determine if she has a seziure disorder.
More details to come. Please keep my bee in your prayers.

Splish, splash

2007-08-10T08:53:00.001-07:00

We went shopping yesterday and Emma reminds me that we still haven't gotten a pool for Claire, and that we were buying one, period. Uh, oh-kay. Let's see if I can even find one since most stores are clearancing out the summer stuff already. It may be 95 degrees and getting hotter by the day, but, hey, let's put out the fall clothes and decorations anyway...ugh.

Fast forward to early evening.

Got the birdie dressed in her suit and filled the pool with water.

She loves the pool.

Loves it.

{photo taken 08.09.07}

For April: Easy Weeknight Enchiladas

2007-08-07T14:11:00.000-07:00

1 lb ground beef
1-2 Tbsp dried minced onion
1 can (19 oz) Old El Paso enchilada sauce, divided**
1 1/2 cups shredded cheese, divided
8 flour tortillas

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Lightly spray 9x13 glass pan with non-stick spray.

Cook beef and onion until thoroughly cooked; drain and return to skillet.

Stir in 3/4 cup of the enchilada sauce and 1 cup of the cheese.

Spoon enchilada filling onto tortillas; roll up and place seam sides down in the baking pan.

Pour remaining sauce over top of filled tortillas.

Cover with foil and set aside for 15-20 minutes, then place in oven and bake for 20 minutes.

Remove pan from oven and top with remaining cheese; bake uncovered for an additional 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Serve with rice and refried beans, of course.

Enjoy!

**Note: The mild sauce can be a little spicy for me, so what I have done in the past is use the smaller can of enchilada sauce and one can of tomato soup. Mix together and proceed with directions.

P.S. You don't have to be named April to cook and enjoy these. Hee hee :)

Still here.

2007-07-12T13:09:00.001-07:00

Hi, y'all!
(said in my best Paula Deen accent since I have heaps o'time on my hands to watch her show since I can't blog...)

For whatever reason, unknown to me and a few computerie friends, I simply cannot login to Blogger on my own computer. I've tried everything short of bribery or throwing the thing off of a bridge and am at my wits' end! I'm sitting here using our ancient computer, just so you don't have to ask how the heck I am posting this but nothing else. :D

We're getting ready for a five day roadtrip to Dallas with five kids (yes, I said five...) for Emma's birthday number five and am planning on calling Geek Squad to see if they can help me fix my stinkin' computer when we return.

Just so y'all know, I still check in on everyone and really hope to have this resolved after we return from vacation.

Hope y'all are having a relaxing summer.
I'll be back, I hope!

:)

Piano Lessons at Grandma's house

2007-06-18T09:55:00.000-07:00

Both of these girlies LOVE to pound on the ivories.

Perhaps we should sign Emma up for formal lessons soon, eh?

{photo taken 06.16.07}

They leave a path of destruction every day

2007-06-12T12:35:00.000-07:00

But they have fun together and are really starting to play well with each other.

Hope your summer is going well!

p.s. Is anyone else having trouble logging in with Blogger? I've tried various things and found that the ONLY way I could log in was to retreive my old non-Google account.

Funny stuff he says

2007-05-30T07:34:00.001-07:00

(cruising the shoe aisle at Target)

Me: Hey, Rob, see these cool-looking flip flops?

Rob: I don't want to wear cool-looking flip flops.

Me: Oh, okay.

(Rob pointing down to his cool penny loafers he's wearing with shorts and a tee shirt)

Rob: When I was in boarding school, this is what I wore all the time.

Me: You're not in boarding school any more.

Rob: Harumph!

:)

Graduation Day

2007-05-22T09:31:00.000-07:00

Wow.

How the time has flown by, just as everyone tells you so.

Summertime is here and we're busily getting playdates and activities lined up.

And with lots of built-in *hangin' out* time here at the house. :D

{photo taken 05.16.07}

She brings me flowers

2007-05-17T13:56:00.000-07:00

{photo taken 05.13.07}

little magpie

2007-05-10T08:49:00.000-07:00

She is drawn to ANYTHING shiny and sparkly.

Preferrably my silver charm bracelet.

A girl after my own heart.

:)

Ten on Tuesday-random thoughts from the car line edition

2007-05-01T14:01:00.001-07:00

1. I need a nap.
2. Only two full weeks left before summer vacation begins.
3. Need to get Emma registered for VBS.
4. Did I mention needing a nap?
5. Can anyone ever have enough of those new 7 gypsies stamps?
6. Or the AL journaling stamps? :)
7. The van really, really needs to visit the carwash.
8. I wonder who sells the MM Fresh Anthology papers?
9. We've gone one entire month without visiting the pediatrician. HOORAY!
10. My online friend has started a 8.5x11 sketch blog. Go visit.

http://www.ilovesketches.blogspot.com

I'm trying to get back into posting mode and appologize for my (as usual) absence.

Is anyone still visiting?

:)

Outtakes for Susie :), 50, and a good thing

2007-04-18T07:33:00.000-07:00

See?

:)

The older one I have to bribe-on occasion-with candy, but haven't got much to work with as of yet for wee one. :)

-------------------------

50.

The number of posts on my new blog!

-------------------------

A good thing.

I got my new camera!!!

A Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H2.

I charged up the batteries, loaded them and snapped a few shots yesterday and now have to read the manual to figure out what to do next.

And memorize the manual.

And practice what I teach myself.

I'm going to miss my old HP.

HA!

So long, farewell, auf beidersein, goodbye. Good-bye!

Sunday at The Antique Rose Emporium

2007-04-16T07:57:00.000-07:00

One of the best things about living in Texas is bluebonnets in the spring time.

And pictures of cute little girlies in red wagons.

:)

{photo taken 04.15.07}

Easter magic

2007-04-10T11:11:00.000-07:00

See what happens when you make a wish for snow for Easter?

:) :) :)

It brought back a flood of childhood memories growing up in South Texas and wishing with all my might that snow would fall on such a special day, and always being disappointed when it never happened.

Until now.

Seeing Emma dance in the mix of freezing rain and itty bitty falling snowflakes-she was nothing short of a happy girl. And I was, too. And as an adult that special place tucked away in my heart was revisited upon seeing my little girl experience the very magic of snow on Easter day that was pure bliss for the both of us.

It was simply magical.

Easy-peasy lemon-squeezy Easter craft

2007-04-05T12:59:00.000-07:00

Aren't these the cutest thing?

So, so simple and easy to make and the kiddies will have lots of fun helping...eating the extras that fall on the floor. :D

Here's what you'll need:

one bag of cheese puffs
green curling ribbon
disposable decorating bags (Wilton brand in the cake deco section)

All you do is stuff the bags about 2/3 full of cheese puffs and then tie on a pre-curled piece of green ribbon. Easy-peasy, lemon-squeezy. :)

That's it!

I'll be offline for a few days, but I wanted to share this craftie with you.

Have a happy, safe and blessed Easter to you all.

Love,

Stephanie

C'mon, kiss me!

2007-04-02T12:57:00.000-07:00

{photo taken 03.17.07}

Recipe share: Apple Spice Dump-It Cake

2007-03-26T13:04:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

1 (18.25 ounce) package spice cake mix
2 (21 ounce) cans apple pie filling
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp ground allspice
1 tbsp white sugar
3/4 cup butter
1 cup choppped pecans

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Pour the cans of apple pie filling into a 9x13 pan.
In a small bowl, mix together cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and sugar.
Sprinkle spice mixture over pie filling.
Pour the entire box of dry cake mix over apples.
Dot with butter and scatter pecans on top.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to an hour, until cake is brown on top and bubbling on the sides. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped topping.

I made this for my Women's Small Group that is meeting tonight and the house smells so, so, so wonderful. This is apple pie, minus the hard labor. :)

{Recipe courtesy of Allrecipes}

Picture of the day

2007-03-19T18:20:00.000-07:00

We had an impromptu photo shoot and the girlies obliged me with the sweetest thing:

The hand-holding.

Completely honest and unstaged.

That's what I love about this age.

Oh, and the tee shirt Emma's wearing says "Best Buds", which I think sums it up best.

{photo taken 03.19.07}

Friday Five

2007-03-16T14:09:00.000-07:00

Haven't done one of these in a very, very long time.

Five things:

Five things in my fridge:

bottled water
strawberry yogurt
string cheese
leftover pizza
baby food

Five things in my hall closet:

jackets
vacuum
scented candles
board games
flute

Five things in my purse/diaper bag:

baby essentials (just the basics would take up the whole list!)
cell phone
Em's immunization papers for kindergarden registration
tinted lipgloss
empty skittles wrappers

Five things in my van:

car seats
insurance and repair papers
maps
first aid kit
extra blankets

Five things on my current DVR/tivo rotation:

Monk
Quick Fix Meals with Robin Miller
Divine Design
Charlie and Lola
Little Bear

Well, there ya go-feel free to play along, if you please.

Happy Friday.

Where do I begin?

2007-03-06T08:00:00.000-08:00

Why, hello there. :)

Long time no post.

The kids are on the mend finally.

Mama is, too.

Last week I finally went to see my doctor after experiencing the hugest meltdown in my life. What with the kids being pretty much sick back to back since the Christmas holiday, Claire still no sleepy through the night, and then my sil needing daily rides to physical therapy or doctor appointments since being diagnosed with a "seizure disorder"...it was only time before I lost it.

And, boy, did I.

I am now seeing a therapist who is helping me get my life back in working order.

I've set a schedule that I can live with for my *taxi* services so that Claire is finally getting the naps she needs every day.

I have started getting out of the house and taking daily walks with the girlies.

Life is good.

I have to remind myself of that.

Insert sick/tired/overwhelmed title here

2007-02-23T15:19:00.000-08:00

We're sick, sick, sick here.

So I decided to put the computer on hold for awhile and get some rest.

A long night's sleep would be good, but Clarie has other plans.

Hope you all are faring better than we are.

:)

Happy Valentine's Day

2007-02-14T21:00:00.000-08:00

Ten on Tuesday

2007-02-06T15:47:00.000-08:00

ala very random and bullet-point style :)

big belly laughs from Claire
apple juice from Target
lunch today at La Madeleine
baking heart-shaped sugar cookies with lots of red sugar sprinkles
strawberries romanoff
playhouse disney online
mini m&m's
Charlie and Lola volume 3 dvd
the almost spring-like weather today
discovering Regina Spektor

Funny how I find myself compiling lists of ten things all day on Monday, but when it's time to publish my thoughts, my memory fails me. As usual.

So.

I decided to write down my thoughts and voila!

Instant Ten on Tuesday.

sigh

2007-01-29T11:05:00.000-08:00

The story of my life.

Here's to finding humor in the smallest of things.

Best Life Diet

2007-01-26T15:57:00.000-08:00

Was intrigued by it after reading about it on Cathy Z's blog.

Clicked on the link she had, got totally jazzed out over the suggested meals like smoothies (yum!), did the profile and found out it isn't for you if you are pregnant or nursing.

Bah.

Apparently, achieving good health or weight loss whilst expecting or nursing is not important to Mr Bob Greene, aka Oprah's Diet Guru.

I suppose it is time to go back to WW, even though they frown upon nursing moms, too.

Any suggestions???

"When I Wrote To the Zoo"

2007-01-25T07:27:00.000-08:00

So this is the reason why Emma's room is so messy.

Very interesting.

Haven't heard that excuse up until now.

Ten (plus one) on Tuesday, first edition

2007-01-22T17:34:00.000-08:00

1. Claire goes in for her 4 month check and shots today.
2. Baby Mozart is a life saver.
3. I cleaned out my patterned paper stash and gave away two 12x12 vertical Cropper Hopper paper holders FULL of paper. And I do mean FULL. Now that said paper stash has been purged, I am now working my way through the land of forgotten or never used embellies...*sigh*
4. This scrapbook purging could quite possibly take days, I am fully convinced of it. But it has become so necessary since I quit working at the SB store and managed to collect.more.supplies.than.one.person.should.ever.need.
6. Have you seen the February Make and Takes in the Garden???
7. Jackie Bonette is fast becoming a new favorite 'cause she LOVES patterned paper. And I love a girl who loves paper. :)
8. "Super Emma" came to visit for the day.
9. I took a few cute pics of "Super Emma" and will post them later this week.
10. Did I mention Baby Mozart is a life saver?
11. I think I have found a way to carve out a few minutes to scrapbook now, thanks to numbers 2 and 10.

YAY!

A conversation about strangers and dangers

2007-01-16T10:29:00.000-08:00

Surely I wasn't ready for this.

No, I wasn't.

Emma answered the door to a stranger while I was in the shower.

She came running into the bathroom to tell me and then dashed back into the living room.

I don't think I have EVER gotten out of the tub, grabbed a robe and ran to the door faster than I did last Saturday morning.

But I could not get to the door fast enough.

My heart stopped.

She was thisclose to getting out of the door before I was able to intervene.

As soon as we got back into the house the cautionary, but not scary words started flowing.

And then the tears.

Of fear.

Of relief.

And then a trip to Home Depot for a keyed deadbolt lock was purchased and installed.

(Prior to the new lock, our front door was secured by a regular lock on the doorknob and a deadbolt that only had a keyed feature on the front side of the door which makes it too easy for a wee little to unlock the door in the first place.)

I learned a hard lesson that morning.

It is NEVER too early to talk to your kids.

Do it.

Today.

And tomorrow.

And then again.

She giggles! She rolls over! She is teething!

2007-01-10T13:24:00.000-08:00

Life is ever so slooooowly returning back to normal.

P.S. Thank you so much for all of your kind words of encouragement.

Chronicles of a sick baby, a neglected preschooler and a heaping dose of mama guilt

2007-01-03T14:49:00.000-08:00

C'mon over.

Claire has an ear infection.
Emma has another URI.
Mama has a sinus infection 'cause it wouldn't be fair if only the girlies were sick...

Thankfully, Emma perked right up with antibiotics and Motrin.

However, now finds herself fending for herself with loads of Welcome to Ralph's World CD/DVD, back-to-back episodes of Charlie and Lola and Little Bear, her new My Little Pony play sets, 10 tubs of play-doh, a new box of crayons and markers with a stack of blank paper, tons of snack-y type foods and a few new books that Nana bought her.

I guess that doesn't sound too bad until I fess up the fact that she's largely unsupervised during the daytime while I sit in the rocking chair in the girls' room for the 157,786th time with Claire.

That would be where the heap of Mama guilt comes into the story.

It makes me sad that I can't be in both rooms at the same time.

Or that I am secrectly rejoicing in the fact that school resumes tomorrow.

Or that the tree and decorations are still out.

I could go on and on.

So.

I will close this depressing post out.

"Generally Happy Stephanie" should be back around in a few more days.

Bye for now.

Hooray for Em & Mama Day!

2006-12-29T10:38:00.000-08:00

She is SO excited, she can hardly contain herself.

No, wait.

I'm SO excited that I can hardly contain myself.

I loved this book as a child and am happy to get to see it on the big screen, finally. :)

We had a wonderfully blessed Christmas and I will get the pics loaded and posted sometime next week. We're off for a weekend at the lake with Rob's parents.

Happy New Year, everyone!

And there were shepherds, abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

2006-12-22T07:35:00.000-08:00

And the Angel of the Lord came upon them and said, "Fear not: for behold, I bring you tidings of great joy. For unto you is born this day a Savior, which is Christ the Lord." And there was with the angel a multitude of heavenly hosts praising God and saying, "Glory to God; peace on Earth, good will to men."

Have a blessed Christmas, my friends.

{Nativity play, 12-14-06}

Three Months

2006-12-19T14:25:00.000-08:00

I simply cannot believe how time has flown by with you.

Every new day with you is sweeter than the day before.

I adore you, my Clairey Bird!

Love,
Mama

{picture taken 12-17-06}

RAC's

2006-12-08T15:08:00.000-08:00

a.k.a. Random Articles of Clothing

Are to be found in every nook and cranny today.

Who knew that with just the addition of one wee little could end up in the redecoration of the living room, the bedroom(s), the bathroom. And the kitchen???

Perhaps it is time to do the 5 minute room rescue and get some serious laundry done?

fall frolic

2006-12-06T15:02:00.000-08:00

Every once in a great while, I manage to capture an amazingly good and well-composed shot.

:)

photo taken 11-30-06

O Come Let Us Adore Him

2006-12-01T07:49:00.000-08:00

Emma did this when she was about 2 1/2 and I still giggle when I see this!

Who knew that the 12 disciples were pastel-colored jellybeans???

:)

It is good to be loved

2006-11-29T14:08:00.000-08:00

Saw that on a little girl's tee shirt today at Chick-fil-A.

Life, especially for myself, is moving at a very fast clip lately, and I thought that message might just be a pretty good one to share with my friends!

Over the river and through the woods...

2006-11-22T06:09:00.000-08:00

To Grandmother's house we go.

Have a safe and blessed Thanksgiving, my friends.

Happy Birthday to Yoooouuuuuu, Meesh!

2006-11-20T06:50:00.000-08:00

Have a fun-filled, yummy food, lotsa presents kinda day!

Love,

Steph

FlyLady would be so proud

2006-11-14T13:29:00.000-08:00

The 27-fling Boogie is going well as evidenced by the picture above.

It is SO liberating.

Try it.

You'll love it and never want to go back to that cluttered life. :)

I've rounded up 27+ things to donate to the local battered women's shelter that we serve a meal to on a monthly basis. Clothes for adults and babies, toiletries, etc. are in constant need there, so I decided it was a perfect time to start sending my stuff along to someone who really needs it.

It is afterall, just stuff....

Phew!

For Suzanne

2006-11-13T06:59:00.000-08:00

I love her fairie layouts.

And this one lent itself so naturally for a recipe page, that I knew I had to use it!

All papers are Wild Asparagus

Font is Amelie, downloaded off of the internet

Hope you had a wonderful day, my friend!

So I'm learning to whisper

2006-11-07T11:38:00.000-08:00

Ok, I know this is a shameless promotion for the above book, but I am SO VERY glad my friend Shannon told me about it.

With Emma, I adhered very strictly to the BabyWise theory and while it worked wonders for her, I was intrigued by this British lady and what she had to offer me. I already know and understand the premise of the program, but needed a refresher course of sorts.

Here's the latest report card:

We're doing well, so far.

She eats.

Plays.

Sleeps.

Every 3-4 hours.

It's absoute bliss, I tell you.

Now, if I could just get her to sleep for a large chunk o' time at night, life would be near-perfect, huh? :)

Busy bees

2006-11-01T15:01:00.000-08:00

Or, really, here's a sampling of what we've been up to lately.

Oh, and Happy Hallowe'en, a day late.

Tee hee hee.

Hey, Marie:

Were you going to send me a note on how to post photos?

Help, pretty please!

Fun @ the Patch

2006-10-20T11:34:00.000-07:00

Food for thought

2006-10-19T14:32:00.000-07:00

Found this little gem while browsing at Hallmark, looking for new and fresh creative inspiration.

I'm thinking it would make for a fabulous wall hanging for the house.

Happy Thursday!

Croc envy

2006-10-15T08:13:00.000-07:00

I saw these on Friday at the Pediatrician's office, worn by another Mommy, of course!

I reeeeaaaaallllly want them.

In chocolate and red.

And IF they had them in a cool green, I'd be all over them like a duck on a junebug.

:) :) :)

Oh, and since I am on an enabling kick today, I have added a few more links on the sidebar>>>

Inchworm Baby: Oh my goodness, hide the credit card!
Amy Butler Design: She and her goods will be at the the Int'l Quilt Festival this November.
PV Soap: One of the best places on the web for recipes for homemade lip balms, scrubs and other nifty-gifty ideas. 'Tis the season!

This 'n that

2006-10-12T08:09:00.000-07:00

First, and foremost:

Claire does not have Down's, as we originally thought and are super-relieved to know she's 100% normal, chromosome-wise! :)

Emma's still in the "my baby sister is nice" phase.....

I doubt reality has really sunk in yet, but she is pretty helpful, and boy, do I make the most of it!

The House of Sick has descended upon us, BIG TIME.

Emma's got strep, she has now passed it on to me, and Claire has a cold.

Ugh.

Claire's now wanting to sit in the bouncy seat, so maybe I can snap a few pics of her in something other than her boppy.

I'm going to have to buy a 2nd one for Emma, as she steals it all of the time!

And a new pic of both of the girlies, for good measure.

I want to scrap a layout of this, but need suggestions for a good title.

Something along the lines of "first talk" or family meeting or whatever sounds good.

P.S. A question for my computer-savvy friends.

WHY does my photo always attach itself at the beginning of the posts?

I have absolutely NO clue how to fix this so I can insert a photo inbetween my ramblings and suchlike. Any helpful suggestions?

Sweet slumber

2006-10-07T10:02:00.000-07:00

Hey, at least SOMEONE is sleeping in our house! :)

I'm still here, chugging along, with my big kid sitting on my lap while I try to type up this post.

We're waiting for Miss Claire to wake up from her nap and then we're off to visit the Fall Festival at my parents' church. Emma is so excited to see the animals and ride the pony, so I will post pics after we get home.

Have a blessed weekend and stay with me.
Good stuff is still to come!

:)

9-22-06

2006-09-22T13:40:00.000-07:00

Just a quick update, sorry no photos!

Good news:

Claire has almost regained her birthweight
nurses like a hoover-hee hee
sleeps all day

Bad, bad news:

Claire doesn't sleep between the hours of 12 and 4 am

Care to come over for a visit?
I'd LOVE the company!

Emma's still infatuated with her "nice baby sister".

Of course now that I am writing about the girlies, the littlest one is calling.

Longer post later!

She's HERE!!!

2006-09-18T22:04:00.001-07:00

Claire Marie
is HERE!!!

Born September 17, 2006
7 pounds 15 ounces
20 inches

The bestest news, ever!

2006-09-13T14:24:00.000-07:00

We're having a baby!

This Sunday!

Stay tuned for more details!

!!!! :)

Book Nook

2006-09-10T09:00:00.000-07:00

The picture above is a book rack found in the PBK catalogue, but I am too frugal to spend $89 buckaroos for it. You can get a pattern for a very similar one on Southern Living's website. They featured a Book Nook with the pattern for a DIY version. I have kept it handy for the "Things That Papa Needs to Build" list. Hee.

I stumbled upon this super book list in the Winter 2004 BHG's Kids' Rooms magazine, while purging my HUGE collection of idea books.

This has been a HUGE help while perusing the aisles during our weekly library visits.

A few of these books listed we own ourselves, but we still need to add a few more to our evergrowing collection. A home can never have too many books, right?

Here 'tis:
(in no particular order)

Green Eggs and Ham
Goodnight Moon
Curious George
Madeline
Where the Wild Things Are
Rainbow Fish
The Cat in the Hat
If You Give a Mouse a Cookie
Are You My Mother?
Harold and the Purple Crayon
The Hungry Little Caterpillar
Where the Sidewalk Ends
Go Dog Go
Danny the Dinosaur
Love You Forever
Charlotte's Web
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom
The Mitten
The Little Engine That Could

Olivia

Toot and Puddle

Happy reading!

Sunday inspiration

2006-09-10T08:48:00.000-07:00

I don't know what's cuter.

The doggie
or
the quilted bed.

Makes me thisclose to wanting another puppers.

The fabric is from Piece O' Cake's Serendipity line.

I seriously could use the fabrics for a purse.
Or a really cute skirt.
Or maybe a scrapbook page.

Hey, even I crack myself up.

:)

Ballet and Baby Update

2006-09-08T06:34:00.000-07:00

Emma LOVED the class.

Most especially the "pony shuffle" while wearing her tap-tap-tap shoes. :)

I simply adore her teacher, Miss Jenny.

It's nice to know that the dance school has been in operation for 31 years and Miss Jenny started there as a four year old, attending all the way through high school, and has now returned to teach after graduation. Such a sweet story!

Onto Baby news:

Nothing.

Nada.

Just biding my time, waiting.......waiting......waiting.

Feels sorta like the anticipation prior to Christmas morning.

You know you're getting presents, but the time cannot move fast enough.

So, we shall remain in the wait and see period for at least another week or so.

I'm only 38 weeks, and so I can be patient, I think.

Now if I am STILL posting the "no baby yet" posts come September 27th, I'm thinking they won't sound so cheery.

Hip, hip, hooray!

2006-09-05T10:18:00.000-07:00

You completely must buy this double set.

They're British.
They're absolutely charming.
And creative.

You will love them as much as we do.

Emma has her first ballet/tap lesson in the morning.
I will post a picture, if they let me bring the camera into the studio. Hee.

That's all for today. :)

Shopping solves everything. Really.

2006-09-01T11:38:00.000-07:00

The cutest outfit. Such a fitting thing since her nickname is Birdie. :)

The toys are the new First Years Nature Sensations from Target, of course.

Basket is from IKEA. I am going to spray paint a lovely shade of green.

Fabric swatch is April Cornell's Poetry collection that I swoon over and get weak in the knees everytime I open the bag from my last quilt shop outing with my mama.

A girl can never have too many blue jeans, right?

Right.

Target, I think I love you.

Happy Weekending!

So, um, should I be worried?

2006-08-28T10:51:00.000-07:00

This could be the start of a very long year..........

:)

And....we're off!

2006-08-22T17:36:00.000-07:00

Overheard this evening

2006-08-20T16:53:00.000-07:00

"I've got joy in the Lord, and He is my strength..."

Sung at the top of her lungs, accompanied by the VBS CD that is almost worn to shreds.

Thank goodness for backup copies.

Hee hee.

Countdown to Pre-School:

TWO days.

Yippee!

Five weeks and counting...

2006-08-14T09:23:00.000-07:00

Wow.....what a ride this has been.

The nursery side of the girls' room is almost finished to the point of photographing it, the clothes are sorted and ready for their inagural wash in Dreft-it is such an unnecessary indulgence, but the scent alone is so worth it for at least a few months, the extra stuff like the bouncy seat and sleep soother are filled with fresh batteries. Ready and waiting. Everything is in its place, I hope.

I am ready.

We are ready.

:)

What's yours is mine....

2006-08-01T18:31:00.000-07:00

She's found the

boppy

pacifiers

socks

toys

anything and everything baby-related

It's going to be a long road......

*sigh*

...she smiles at the future

2006-07-24T14:55:00.000-07:00

A quick explanation behind my choosing of the new blog name.

I LOVE this part of Proverbs 31.
So much so that I decided to use it for my blog name!

With my faith being tested so much so lately, I have learned a lot just from my daily reading of Proverbs 31 and felt it was time to remind myself and maybe a few others of all the good things God and life have blessed us with.

Thank you so much for being a part of my life, even if our paths may never cross or I simply know you here in cyberspace. It is still a blessing.

And just so you know, I'll be popping in here and there to set up the blog as I like.

However, please bear with me while I work out all the fun involved with creating a new blog, minus the easy button. :)